How well would our underground electric transmission network against masive solar flare of doom?
Actually the more I think about it the big solar flare of doom is only likely to be a slight inconvenience.
80-90% of the wire ran would still be usable, rebuilding generators isn't super hard. A lot of the electronic systems we have are fairly emp resilient surprisingly.

The problem is as far as customers are concerned, power distribution usually comes almost always above ground.

Downed trees just kept millions of people for weeks without power in one of the most industrialized states in America (home of Edison, the guy who industrialized electrical distribution).

Power was restored street to street as trees were cleared and transformers (the biggest casualty) were replaced.

My guess is that the effect of a modern Carrington-size ICME could effectively destroy the entire final 10% to-the-premises infrastructure, meaning power would have to be restored street by street and in some cases house by house, pole by pole.

I very rarely ever see a power pole out here the last mile for most of San Diego is underground. Even going house by house it still an inconvenience and not a world/civilization ender hell it might be the stimulus the economy needs.

I very rarely ever see a power pole out here the last mile for most of San Diego is underground. Even going house by house it still an inconvenience and not a world/civilization ender hell it might be the stimulus the economy needs.

This is bad information to share because now all the scavengers and nomad hooligans will know to raid San Diego after the GM storm.

Please get all your batteries and gasoline ready for us. We'll be coming with 5 gallon containers and shotguns.

I very rarely ever see a power pole out here the last mile for most of San Diego is underground. Even going house by house it still an inconvenience and not a world/civilization ender hell it might be the stimulus the economy needs.

I want you to consider the implications on food distribution if the power goes out across the nation all at once and it then takes weeks (months) to bring the power back.

Supermarket freezers and refrigerator units go out.
Distributor refrigeration goes out.
Rail and traffic systems are in some chaos.
The distribution system records are down without power.
Communications are spotty for placing orders.
Orders are trying to be placed simultaneously across the spotty comms...

I think you get the drift.

It's not simply the consumer power to homes. A universal power outage is very serious.

This is bad information to share because now all the scavengers and nomad hooligans will know to raid San Diego after the GM storm.

Please get all your batteries and gasoline ready for us. We'll be coming with 5 gallon containers and shotguns.

Good luck getting here =)

Originally Posted by Styygens

I want you to consider the implications on food distribution if the power goes out across the nation all at once and it then takes weeks (months) to bring the power back.

Supermarket freezers and refrigerator units go out.
Distributor refrigeration goes out.
Rail and traffic systems are in some chaos.
The distribution system records are down without power.
Communications are spotty for placing orders.
Orders are trying to be placed simultaneously across the spotty comms...

I think you get the drift.

It's not simply the consumer power to homes. A universal power outage is very serious.

Serious yes, civilization ending no, in a few years we will be right back to where we are now just with a thinned herd and more people learning how to be electricians.

So back to my fallout bunker idea. But fo shizzle this time. At least a year's worth of canned goods, basic medicine (aspirin, tylenol, penicilin for nuclear-age herpes, [and hey, the meds themselves are perishable unless I am mistaken, so how long would they last cold dry storage regardless???] canned water- none of that plastic bottle crap, and maybe dried goods like jerky.) Also a **** ton of ammunition. Best part, this fucker would probably not be visible from the outside, meaning most neighbors shouldn't even know it exists. Ultimate family safety bunker.

And is no one just a tinsyist bit concerned that a war is just about to kick off in the vicinity of Armageddon, between a nuclear power and a state that more than likely has access to nuclear materials?